The University of Milan stands against violence on women

The dictionary is illustrated by comic book artists and intended for use in lower and upper secondary schools. Being written in a simple and straightforward language, this work stands out as a useful tool to address and fight violence through a critical analysis of the way we speak, and to raise awareness about the issue among younger generations. 

The morning will begin with the opening remarks by Rector Marina Brambilla, Regional Councillor for Family, Social Solidarity, Disability and Equal Opportunities Elena Lucchini (Lombardy Region), Mayor's Delegate for Gender Equality Elena Lattuada (Municipality of Milan) and Vice-Rector for Equal Opportunities Marilisa D'Amico, who is also spoke leader of Human Hall. Their speeches will be followed by the screening of a video entitled Processo per stupro (trial for rape) and an interactive poll for students. After that, Professor of Philosophy of Law Francesca Poggi and Professor of Constitutional Law Irene Pellizzone, who also serves as Rector's Delegate for the prevention of gender-based violence, will present their dictionary together with illustrator Lorenza Luzzati. 

At 10.15 am, President of the Court of Milan Fabio Roia, President of the Juvenile Court of Milan Maria Carla Gatto, and President of the non-profit organisation REA - REAgire alla Violenza Silvia Belloni will take the stage to engage in a conversation with a group of students. To wrap up the morning, stage actress and writer Cinzia Spanò will read a few excerpts from Elena Ferrante's novel My Brilliant Friend.
 

Other initiatives and events

22 November
Perché la violenza di genere è un problema che riguarda tutti (Why gender-based violence is an issue that concerns us all)
Room C03, via Mangiagalli 25

This seminar addresses the cultural implications of gender-based violence and its impact on the society. Open to the public, the event is organised jointly by the gender equality officers of the Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Moving from a definition of gender-based violence and stereotypes, professors and experts will reflect on the key role of prevention, and the importance of speaking out loud about these issues. The seminar will be an occasion to remember Professor Bianca Beccalli, who recently passed away and was a pioneer contributor to labour studies, and to learn more about the work of Genders, a research centre focused on improving gender equality in sciences.
 

28-29 November
Intrecci di sapere per l'uguaglianza di genere - Wissensverflechtung für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter
(Interweaving knowledge for gender equality)
Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and Sesto S. Giovanni campus of the University of Milan

This eighth annual conference of the Italian DAAD Alumni association (ADIT) aims to facilitate the exchange of views and ideas on the notion of "gender equality" and its manifestations in different countries and domains. In Italy, research in this area is quite a recent thing, while other countries, especially German-speaking ones, have already produced several more extended studies. The conference will be held over two days, on 28 November at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and on 29 November at the Sesto San Giovanni campus of the University of Milan. On 28 November, the focus will be on the medical, scientific and technical domains, while on 29 November, speakers will delve deeper into the linguistic, legal and socio-political aspects of gender equality. The conference is aimed first and foremost at ADIT alumni, but is open to the whole academic community and generally to anyone with an interest in gender equality issues. The main working language will be Italian, but some of the speeches scheduled for 29 November will be in German.

RIForma Mentis: a course to build a new culture of work

RIForma Mentis – Costruiamo una nuova cultura contro le molestie sul lavoro (which roughly translates to "let's build a new culture against on-the-job harassment") is a training course open to all technical-administrative staff of the University of Milan, which aims to strengthen skills on the topics of gender equality and the fight against gender-based violence in the workplace.

Participation in the course is promoted by the Continuing Education and Professional Development Office in collaboration with CUG, the Equal Opportunity Committee of the University of Milan, and the Vice-Rector for Equal Opportunities Marilisa D'Amico. The course is hosted on Syllabus, an online platform offering training courses for civil servants. Interested employees can access the course using their SPID identity, National Service Card (CNS) or Electronic Identity Card (CIE).
 

A year-long blanket

For the International Day on 25 November, the Philosophy Library on the Via Festa del Perdono campus is launching "A year-long blanket", an initiative promoted by CUG as part of the crochet workshop offered by Arcus, the employee recreation association of the University of Milan. 

A year-long blanket is open to the whole academic community: to join up, you just have to crochet a wool granny square of 25x25 or 50x50 centimetres. The colours and technique are entirely up to you, just remember to hand in your granny square to the staff at the Philosophy Library, during opening hours, by 30 April 2025. The granny squares will then be assembled into blankets (each made up of four or eight squares) to be donated to anti-violence centres for a fundraising campaign. 

Subsequently, all blankets will be exhibited as a single installation in the old icehouse of the Philosophy Library, from 25 November to 31 December 2025. The installation will be open to visitors during the regular working hours of the library, from 9 am to 6 pm. For information please write an email to: biblio.filo@unimi.it.